Gary Lineker has insisted that Brendan Rodgers should be rememered fondly by Leicester fans in the wake of the Northern Irishman's departure from the Foxes.
Leicester announced on Sunday that Rodgers would be leaving the club by mutual consent following a defeat to Crystal Palace. That loss at Selhurst Park has left them second bottom of the Premier League and at serious risk of being relegated to the Championship.
With his side only heading one way, the Leicester hierarchy have opted to make a change in the dug-out. It brings an end to a mostly successful four-year spell at the King Power Stadium for Rodgers, who replaced Claude Puel in 2019.
He led the Foxes to two of their three highest finishes in their Premier League history, as well as winning the FA Cup in 2021. And Lineker hopes that fans can overlook the final 18 months of his reign, which turned into disaster.
"Wish Brendan Rodgers all the very best in the future. The only manager in our club’s long history to lift the FA Cup. It’s been a tough season but I’m sure he’ll always be remembered fondly by the fans," the Match of the Day presenter wrote on Twitter.
A permanent replacement for Rodgers has not been announced, with first-team coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell taking immediate responsibility for training and match preparation.
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Their first game in charge will come on Tuesday, with Leicester hosting high-flying Aston Villa. Rodgers' assistants Chris Davies and Glen Driscoll have followed the former Liverpool boss out of the exit door.
Leicester chairman Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha now faces a difficult decision as to who he brings in to take over from Rodgers. But first the Thai billionaire took the chance to pay tribute to the Northern Irishman for his work over his four years in charge.
“The achievements of the team under Brendan’s management speak for themselves – we’ve experienced some of our finest footballing moments under his guidance and will always be grateful to him and his staff for the heights they helped us to reach," he said.
“However, performances and results during the current season have been below our shared expectations. It had been our belief that continuity and stability would be key to correcting our course, particularly given our previous achievements under Brendan’s management.
"Regrettably, the desired improvement has not been forthcoming and, with 10 games of the season remaining, the Board is compelled to take alternative action to protect our Premier League status.
“The task ahead of us in our final 10 games is clear. We now need to come together – fans, players and staff – and show the poise, quality and fight to secure our position as a Premier League club.”
